Billy Crystal Recalls Difficulty Keeping a Straight Face Around Christopher Guest on SNL

Billy Crystal, a former cast member of "Saturday Night Live" from 1984 to 1985, has revealed that he often struggled to maintain his composure during sketches with his co-star Christopher Guest.

During a Q&A event at PaleyFest NY 2026, Crystal, now 78, explained to Whoopi Goldberg that Guest's comedic talent made it difficult for him to keep a straight face. "I couldn’t look Chris Guest in the face," Crystal stated, reflecting on their time together on the sketch comedy show. "I did more sketches with Chris than anybody else."

Guest, also 78, was part of the "SNL" cast during its 10th season, the same season as Crystal. The two frequently appeared together, notably in the recurring "Willie and Frankie" sketches. Crystal recalled the premise of these sketches, where the characters would engage in self-harm, with the other character reacting with "I hate when that happens." "Chris makes me laugh like crazy," Crystal added. "There were so many times I couldn’t even look at him. I would just look the other way when he had lines to do."

Crystal recounted an instance where Guest ad-libbed a line during a "Willie and Frankie" sketch. The intended line involved a character bathing in gin and rolling in push pins. However, when performing it live, Guest altered it to, "So I stripped down to the nude," which prompted an audibly surprised "Oh, you bastard" from Crystal, who could not contain his laughter. "It’s just a funny way of saying I got naked... and I just couldn’t control myself," Crystal explained.

Crystal also praised fellow cast member Martin Short, describing him as "as funny as he gets." He also spoke highly of Robin Williams, whom he considered "one of the geniuses" he had ever worked with.

Beyond "SNL," Crystal and Guest collaborated on other projects, including the films "This Is Spinal Tap" and "The Princess Bride," both directed by the late Rob Reiner. Crystal recently shared reflections on his final conversation with Reiner before the director's death in December 2025. During an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Crystal recalled Reiner emphasizing the lasting importance of the experiences shared during filmmaking over box office success.